IMAGE: B2541.jpg6BUYNOW: http://tinyurl.com/yalq47wrLINKS: DESCRIPTION: More exciting ups and downs than a white knuckle
Roller Coaster ride. - Another cracking installment in the Kydd
and Renzi Saga from international best selling author Julian
Stockwin –
Most Highly Recommended.This is an occasion of doubles. This exciting new story features
the character Persephone Lockwood in the second book to be titled
for her, her first outing being as “The Admiral's Daughter”. This
publication also marks a change of pace with Julian Stockwin
writing two books for release on 2017, the second instalment in
the saga to be published later this year.“Persephone” is the 18th instalment in the Kydd and Renzi Saga and
it is as fresh and enchanting as the first instalment “Kydd” all
those years ago. As the saga has unfolded with each new book, it
has exposed new layers to each of the characters. Over the years
they have deepened and grown, as has the readership. This reviewer
has reviewed each of the books and grown to look forward to the
next story as keenly as any fan. From this experience, the reviewer
would urge any new reader to enjoy this book, but then go out and
buy all the previous books in the series. Each new story can stand
on its own, but the reading of the complete series adds to the
enjoyment and understanding as it brings the characters into three
dimensions in a way that a single book cannot manage.The challenge for a reviewer is to say enough about the new book
that the review fairly reveals the quality of the author's work,
but without spoiling the readers' enjoyment in discovering how the
twists and turns, the range of emotions and the suspense and
excitement all come together to make a cracking good yarn.All established readers of the stories will find many characters
that they have come to enjoy from earlier books. There are new
characters, heroes and villains, but above all there are
interesting pieces of information that are important elements of
history that have somehow escaped most historians. The author
displays his knowledge and love of the sea and ships and a great
attention to research and detail that is crafted into the tale as
natural components. The book is written to entertain, but also it
educates with some fascinating information and insights.In fairness to the other great writers of Napoleonic War naval
fiction, writing past Trafalgar is a major challenge because it
was such an iconic part of British history and integral to the
myth and legend of its great hero Nelson. It is not only writers
of fiction who have faced this challenge and been defeated, but
also the body of historians. This is a great shame because naval
warfare did not end at Trafalgar. True, the British Fleet had
comprehensively vanquished the combined fleets of France and
Spain. Those navies, individually or in concert would never be
able to again confront the Royal Navy. It was not just an
outstanding naval victory for the British, but it reinforced the
naval superiority established in the Seven Years War a half
century earlier when the Royal Navy dominated the waves. For
historians, not much happened at sea after Trafalgar until the
arms race between Britain and Germany at the start of the
Twentieth Century, an apparent century of peace bought by Nelson
and his Band of Brothers. The reality was very different. The
Dash For Empire was only possible because the Royal Navy had won
naval superiority and maintained it. There were also many more
important naval events before the final defeat of Napoleon at
Waterloo. Stockwin has done a great service by meeting and
winning the challenge of Trafalgar and continuing the story of
Kydd and his great friend Renzi beyond 1805. In “Tyger”, he wove in the story of the heroic fight of
Generalleutnant Graf von Hohenlau and his Prussian Division
against French Divisions commanded in the field personally by
Napoleon. The Prussian's Russian allies broke and ran, allowing
the French to encircle the Prussians. That did not deter von
Hohenlau who broke through the encirclement and fought his way to
the Baltic coast. He then sent a messenger to the Royal Navy
escort commander with the annual British Baltic trading convoy
and asked for help in evacuating his troops off the beaches.
Britain and Prussia were not allies but the British commander
agreed to help and all but a small gallant rearguard protecting
the evacuation were lifted off the beaches and carried the
Prussians to their temporary capital. Although Prussia was
then defeated by the French, the Prussians rose at the first
opportunity and allied themselves to Britain. That might never
have happened had not von Hohenlau been helped by the Royal Navy.
It meant that their Prussian allies rode to the aid of the
British at a critical point in the Battle of Waterloo, playing
a decisive part in the ultimate defeat of Napoleon.In this new tale, Stockwin has provided so much in one book. He
has provided an absorbing view of Society and politics in Britain
at the time and he has taken the story of what happened after the
British attack on neutral Denmark with the changes in Iceland's
fortunes all of that being part of the background canvas to the
drama of Kydd's pursuit of Persephone Lockwood. Those who have
read “The Admiral's Daughter” will remember that the earlier
pursuit of Persephone did not go well for Kydd romantically,
although his efforts to claw back from disaster did in fact help
his naval career forward. Did this second pursuit succeed? Well
you will only know by rushing out and buying this fantastic new
tale. It will be a very enjoyable experience.